Petunia plant named ‘Wespecavio’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Wespecavio’, characterized by its cascading, roughly spherical growth habit; freely branching plant habit; freely flowering habit; finely-texture foliage; and single violet-colored flowers with dark violet-colored venation.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Wespecavio.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Wespecavio’.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Südlohn-Oeding, Germany. The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor of a proprietary Petunia seedling selection, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, identified as code number 98K6374-346 with a proprietary Petunia seedling selection, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent, identified as code number 98K8422-566. The new Petunia was selected by the Inventor in 2000 in a controlled environment in Südlohn-Oeding, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in Südlohn-Oeding, Germany since 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Wespecavio have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Wespecavio’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Wespecavio’ as a new and distinct Petunia cultivar:

1. Cascading and roughly spherical growth habit.

2. Freely branching plant habit.

3. Freely flowering habit.

4. Finely-textured foliage.

5. Single violet-colored flowers with dark violet-colored venation.

Plants of the new Petunia are shorter, more freely branching and have larger flowers than plants of the female parent. Plants of the new Petunia have a more trailing plant habit, have sturdier lateral branches and have a darker-colored flowers than plants of the male parent.

Plants of the cultivar Wespecavio can be compared to plants of the Petunia cultivar Wespemab, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,165. However in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Südlohn-Oeding, Germany, plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Wespemab, differed in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Petunia were shorter than plants of the cultivar Wespemab.

2. Plants of the new Petunia had longer internodes than plants of the cultivar Wespemab.

3. Plants of the new Petunia had larger flowers than plants of the cultivar Wespemab.

4. Flowers of the new Petunia had shorter sepals and longer peduncles than flowers of the cultivar Wespemab.

5. Flower color of the new Petunia was darker violet than flower color of the cultivar Wespemab.

Plants of the cultivar Wespecavio can also be compared to plants of the Petunia cultivar Wespesoro, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,184. However in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Südlohn-Oeding, Germany, plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Wespesoro differed in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Petunia had larger and more rounded leaves than plants of the cultivar Wespesoro.

2. Plants of the new Petunia had smaller flowers with smaller sepals than plants of the cultivar Wespesoro.

3. Flowers of the new Petunia were darker violet in color than flowers of the cultivar Wespesoro.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Wespecavio’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘Wespecavio’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the following botanical description were grown in 12-cm containers during the spring and summer for about 20 weeks in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions that closely approximate commercial production conditions in Sudlohn-Oeding, Germany. During the production of the plants, day temperatures were about 20 to 25° C., night temperatures were about 16 to 18° C. and light levels ranged from 3,000 to 50,000 lux.

Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Wespecavio.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary Petunia×hybrida selection identified as code number 98K6374-346, not patented.

Male parent.—Proprietary Petunia×hybrida selection identified as code number 98K8422-566, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 18 days at 20° C.

Time to develop roots.—About 20 to 28 days at 20° C.

Root description.—Numerous, fine, fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Form.—Annual flowering plant; upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; plants roughly spherical in shape. Viscid, glandular pubescent. Freely and continuous basal branching with lateral branches potentially forming at every node.

Usage.—Appropriate for hanging baskets, window boxes and patio containers.

Plant height (from soil level to top of plant plane).—About 17 cm.

Plant diameter.—About 48 to 60 cm.

Stem description.—Main branches, length: About 64 cm. Main branches, diameter: About 4 mm. Lateral branches, length: About 35 cm. Lateral branches, diameter: About 2.3 mm. Internode length: About 3.3 cm. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: 144A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length: About 3.7 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm. Shape: Round to ovate. Apex: Obtuse to slightly acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Aspect: Flat. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Leathery; pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B. Venation, upper surface: 147B. Venation, lower surface: 147C. Petiole length: About 9 mm. Petiole diameter: About 2.3 mm. Petiole color: 147C.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Single salverform flowers; flowers face upward and outward; single, axillary. Freely flowering habit.

Natural flowering season.—Long-day responsive; flowering from April until frost in the autumn in Germany; flowering continuous during this period.

Fragrance.—None detected.

Flower longevity on the plant.—About one week.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 5.1 cm. Depth (height): About 3.1 cm. Tube length: About 2.5 cm. Throat diameter, distal end: About 1.2 cm. Tube diameter, proximal end: About 4 mm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 3.1 cm. Diameter: About 4.5 mm. Shape: Oblong. Color, towards the apex: 1C to 1D. Color, midsection and base: N79A to N79B.

Petals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorls of five petals, fused into a flared trumpet. Length from throat: About 2.3 cm. Width: About 2.4 cm. Shape: Mostly obtuse, occasionally cuspidate. Apex: Slightly acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color: When opening, upper surface: N82A to N82B. When opening, lower surface: N82C to N82D. Fully opened, upper surface: 85A to 85B; color becoming closer to 85C with development. Fully opened, lower surface: 85C. Flower throat (inside): 83A. Flower tube (outside): 86A to 86B. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 83A to 83B. Venation, throat: 83A. Venation, tube: 83A overlain with N93A.

Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals, fused at base; star-shaped. Length: About 1.1 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Linear. Apex: Obtuse to rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent; velvety. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Towards the base, 146A; towards the apex, 146C.

Peduncles.—Length: About 3.4 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Strength: Wiry, strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146A overlain with 166A.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: About five per flower. Anther shape: Four-parted, ovate. Anther length: About 2.3 mm. Anther width: About 2 mm. Anther color: Towards the apex, 146D; towards the base, 77B. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: 92A to 92B. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 2.1 cm. Stigma shape: Square. Stigma color, immature: 146C to 146B. Stigma color, mature: 119A. Style length: About 1.6 cm. Style color: 145A to 145B. Ovary color: 144A to 144B. Seed/fruit: Seed and fruit production have not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Petunia.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to be tolerant to temperatures from 2 to 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Wespecavio’, as illustrated and described. 